Formula 1's brewing tyre dilemma

Pirelli wants to stay in F1, and there are plenty of reasons why the FIA, the teams and FOM want it to as well, yet extending its contract beyond 2013 is not that simple, as Dieter Rencken explains

Pirelli entered Formula 1 in 2011 as sole tyre supplier, having departed at the end of 1991 following two marginally successful tenures (1981-86, 1989-91) in the modern era during which the Italian company scored two and one (slightly fortuitous, it must be said) victories respectively.

Upon its return, Pirelli's marketing and technical honchos threw themselves wholeheartedly into the sport, not only committing to massive peripheral spend for the full duration of the three-year contract, but developing tyres with the sort of qualities desired by the sport after years of rock-hard Bridgestone rubber in double-quick time. In short, F1 wished for overtaking-fests created through stops and degradation, and Pirelli certainly delivered, at times overly so.